Rabat – European-born Moroccan models Imaan Hammam and Sarah Feingold enjoyed iftar (breaking of the fast) on April 26 in true Moroccan fashion, with homemade harira soup and mint tea.
Hammam, born in the Netherlands to Moroccan and Egyptian parents, went live on Instagram with Feingold, born in Germany to Moroccan and German parents, to give a step-by-step demonstration of their harira recipe in preparation for iftar.
“Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup that we eat for Ramadan, for iftar,” Hammam explained to her followers. While going over the soup’s ingredients, the models noted harira’s nutritional value, with Hammam adding, “after one bowl you’re mainly full.”
Hammam began by cooking halal meat on low heat in a pot while Feingold pureed tomatoes. The models then added onions and tomato paste. After letting the mixture cook for a bit, Feingold added the tomato puree.
Hammam and Feingold set the tone for iftar by playing upbeat Maghrebi music, including “Zaama Zaama” by Algerian artist Takfarinas and “Hay Hay Hay” by Moroccan singer Najat Aatabou, while waiting to take the next steps in the recipe.
Read also: How to Cook Like a Moroccan Mum: Harira in Lockdown
During the break from cooking, a viewer asked Hammam, who has appeared on the cover of Vogue four times, to show off her Moroccan Arabic (Darija) skills and say “parsley” in Darija. She fumbled around for the correct word before landing on “m3adnous,” with the help of Feingold.
“I can speak Darija really well, guys, don’t get it twisted,” she joked.
Feingold then added leeks, celery, carrots, parsley, and cilantro to the mixture.
“This is going to be a big meal, guys,” Hammam said while filming her friend. “Our moms are going to be so proud.”
Feingold proceeded to add in lentils and spices, which she said “came straight from Morocco.”
The Moroccan-German model revealed a tin of cumin while Hammam gushed over the spice’s strong fragrance. “I wish you guys could smell this,” she said to her audience.
Feingold then added a mix of spices sent to her by her grandfather in Morocco.
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After Feingold stirred in the spices and adding water to the soup, Hammam exclaimed the dish “smells like Morocco!”
“I miss my family back home,” said the Amsterdam-born model, whose mother is Moroccan. “We’re making this for you guys!”
“I feel like Ramadan, this holy month, is such an important month where you get together with the whole family and cook together and eat together. [Celebrating Ramadan] during this time is a bit hard, [especially] being in New York alone,” she continued.
“I’m very happy I have Sarah [Feingold] here with me and we can make this traditional dish,” she said. “Mama, I hope you’re proud of me!”
“Look, look what I made for you, harira,” she continued in Darija, addressing her mother.
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After substituting saffron for another spoonful of turmeric and adding pepper to the soup, the two half-Moroccan models began discussing their heritage.
“Me and Sarah can actually talk to each other in Arabic … but I speak Darija, and she speaks Tamazight,” Hammam explained, adding that while Feingold could likely understand Moroccan Arabic, Hammam would not be able to understand her friend’s Tamazight (Berber).
As Feingold explained the diverse distribution of Amazigh people throughout northern and western Africa, Hammam chimed in, “We’re mixed! When you’re from Morocco, you’re mixed.”
“That’s something I love about Morocco, it’s super diverse, and I think some people don’t really know that,” Feingold added.
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The Berlin-born model then told Hammam they were nearly finished with the harira.
After letting the soup cook for 45 minutes and adding flour and noodles, Hammam and Feingold prepared their iftar table.
The models’ final iftar spread included dates, fruit, salad, freshly-made Moroccan mint tea, and, of course, the harira.
“So grateful and blessed,” Hammam captioned a video of the spread. “Saha ftourkom (enjoy your iftar).”
Read also: Amazigh Women Inspire Vogue Arabia’s January 2020 Cover
